Tuesday, November 23, 2010

When Goodies Come Home....

I have to scramble to find places to put them! I just love antique textiles. And I think of the hands that held these pieces, traced, cut, pieced, layered, quilted, and those that were covered by these works of love...put to hard use in their life-of-a-quilt duty to keep a family warm, and I just feel connected somehow.

Is that strange? Maybe just a bit. I also admit that I love looking through the old photographs in antique stores. Children, couples getting married, old ladies sitting on porches, all different stages of life. I can't make myself buy them as if they were family, but I feel like acknowledging the existence of each and every one of those individuals and wonder about the lives they lived. There was one box that had family photos all the way up through the children's lives as they had grown into adulthood and beyond.

Someone had taken the time to write on the back of each photo who was in it and when it was taken. But enough generations go by and it just doesn't mean so much to the future generations any more. Is it sad that these end up in an antique mall? Or is it a lovely appreciation and a glimpse into the lives of others? Better than in a box on a shelf in an attic? The jury is out. Makes me wonder if my photos will end up on a shelf in an antique mall some day! If so...I hope they leave out my 2nd grade pic, I really hated that one. Bad glasses, bad hair, a bump on my chin from falling off my bike... ;c)

Lemoyne Star! A TINY LEMOYNE STAR!! I've always wanted to hand piece one of these, but I know me. It probably isn't going to happen in this life time, or maybe this decade at least. But I am in love with all-things-small and this one just made me squeal right there in the store! Lois was holding it up as I turned around. I just about dropped my parcels and purse drooling over this. Yes, some many of the patches are shredded from hard use and age. But it hasn't lost its impact! It contains mid to late 1800's fabrics, some maybe a bit earlier. Let's face it, I have over 30 years worth of scraps in MY scrap bag, so did this quilter!

The little blocks finish at approximately 4.25". The points are PERFECT..no chopping and lopping going off on this quilt. It was pieced by expert hands. Stitches small and even..

I love how it was quilted...due to the small size, the maker simply stitched two diagonal lines through each block, corner to corner in both directions, and then did the same with the horizontal and vertical...8 lines sectioning the block like a pie, following the inner lines of the diamonds. So some of the quilting is in the ditch, some of it extends into the corner and side background patches, can you see it?

Simple but effective, she didn't feel the need to outline quilt a 1/4" inside each patch, and the quilt is stronger (probably why it survived this long) because the quilting CROSSED the piecing lines in the patchwork.

The blocks are also quilted in the ditch between the block and the sashing, and the 1" sashing has one long line of quilting down the center.

The backing is a lovely stripe, and it is turned over the edge and machine stitched down as binding.

Now wait for it...in case you think that this quilt broke the bank (or maxed my credit card!) Price? $28.00!! Now you know why I about fell to the floor! And I think Lois would have adopted it if I hadn't been there, but she thought that the guest-traveler should have first dibs. Dib I did! Thanks Lois for passing on this one!

You know, I really thought this would cure my need to MAKE a tiny lemoyne star quilt? What was I thinking? I want to MAKE one more than ever now! GAH!!! Someone help me please!

A bit of info on the home front:

We left the house at 5:15am this morning after waking up at 4:45am to get Dave to the hospital for his hernia surgery this morning. He was first on the OR schedule, and I'm glad...we could both pass on breakfast and catch something later since he had to be NPO since midnight. Everything went fine. He's always been a very healthy guy, very active. He doesn't smoke or drink, and hasn't had any anesthesia since he had his tonsils out at 6 years old...and due to this was classified as a total LIGHT WEIGHT when they put him under! He had the hardest time coming around, and feeling like he could move, get dressed, go to the bathroom, etc. I think he has a new appreciation for those of us who have had surgeries, borne children, and lived to tell the story!

He's a trooper, and is resting in bed with the remote on one side, and the dog on the other, entertaining himself with things like "Ice Road Truckers" and copious amounts of "The 70's Show" and whatever else floats his tv-watching-boat. I'm glad this is behind us. Any kind of surgery where they have to put you completely under is scary.

I did buy a turkey. I'm cooking. And basically the turkey was free...I went to Harris Teeter and bought all the "buy one get one free" type holiday items that I would have needed anyway. The turkey was even on sale, and by the time I checked out they said I saved $18.00 which makes the turkey MORE than free. So we are good. The only thing I need is some whipped cream for the pie, and some dinner rolls, and I don't want to buy those too many days in advance. My plan? Get the rhodes frozen whole wheat dinner roll balls and bake them myself to make the house smell good. Works for me...more time to sew!

The mystery still needs the binding finished, so I think that a couple of movies and my behind in the reclining side of the couch stitching away is in order. There will be more goodies from the antique mall next post, I think I've probably stretched this post out as far as it can go, and if you are still here reading along with me, pat yourself on the back, get away from the computer and go DO SOMETHING! :c)

19 comments:

Bonnie,Thanks so much for letting us know that all is well on the home front. It was a but scary the first few times waking up from surgery. Now I love that great "blank" you get just before going under. And they always tell me that I wake up very fast and alert. Although I do tend to ask the same question over and over "What time is it?"...just have to know the time I guess.Just me and hubby for Thanksgiving...I am doing a minimal dinner too.I am waiting anxiosly for the next clue. I wish it was coming on the holiday "day". That would work so well for me...sigh!XOXOXOO Subee

We don't mind a picture without the binding. Just kidding. Can't remember when I have anticipated something as much as this mystery. Being one of many folks all with the same goal is a really good feeling.

I love that quilt!!! So glad your hubby is doing OK, and I like those types of rolls!! I am going to sew some blocks together I have for a tree shirt, since I can not find the one I have had for 20 something years...my adult kids will no doubt comment on something "not a tradition" the minute they get home, but I swear I can not find the old one!!

I love the lemoyne stars, they are tiny! I made one 6.5" for my SBS- that was enough. It took 3 tries to get a good one though so I have some orphan blocks to save for the "antique" mall where my children will donate all my UFO's.Glad DH is resting. Rhodes rolls sound good to me too. I just cooked some Stove top and put some cooked chicken in it for our dinner the other night. Just me and my DH on our 34th Anniversary this Thanksgiving. I told the kids, I'm NOT cooking. I've cooked a day or two later Thanksgiving for all of them to come, not this year.

Antique malls aren't the worst thing that can happen to old pictures. A friend of a friend was showing us a bunch of pictures her husband's boss had given him to BURN. All of them had been carefully labeled with names, dates, the addresses where they were taken....

We begged her to drop them off at a local historical society or an antique mall or give them away on Freecycle for someone to use in altered books...anything but the fire pit.

I don't think it is strange at all to feel a connection to those long ago quilters. I totally get what you are saying.Love, Love, the LeMoyne Stars! When you are ready to get started, let us know. I will be right there with you! 4"-4.5" sounds like a perfect size.I am going to try my best at this years mystery. The colors hooked me.Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Hey You probably are already in bed...but so glad hubby did well today. We have done that surgery twice here with mine. They heal quickly but that first night can be rough....good luck! Thanks for sharing your treasures, I am always so excited to see your "finds". Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. hugs

PS You are a good woman, we are home alone and I am making turkey sandwiches...

Glad the surgery went well. I'm sure your hubby is relieved that it's OVER. I have 162 of the 3 patches done for the mystery. I thought I had them all done, but counted wrong, lol so I have 10 more to make tomorrow.

I haven't decided if I'm happy or sad that I'm not hosting the family for turkey day this year but my parents are elderly and wanted to get take out so that's what we're doing! Hopefully it tastes good but even if it doesn't at least we'll all be together.

Can't believe you got that Lemoyne star for only $28! Wonder what the orginal color of the sashing was. In your photos it looks like peach.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Bonnie. Looking forward to Clue #2 on Friday!

I think the original color of the sashing WAS this orange-y rust color. Kind of pumpkin..It's an amazing quilt, there are NO chopped off points anywhere...the middles of the stars lay perfect. This is a LONG SHOT for me..lol! ;c)

Bonnie,I LOVE LeMoyne star blocks! I made a quilt with 120 3.4" LeMoyne stars on the front and the leftover 3 became the label on the back. These blocks are as addictive as popcorn! I machine pieced mine using Sharyn Craig's technique and some Ardco templates. Thanks for sharing your lovely $28 quilt. I hope someone treasures mine when I am gone and it doesn't end up as a castoff!

Just curious about the hernia surgery - I was told at the DR last week that I probably have one (I thought only GUYS got them!?!) and I have a consult with the surgeon tomorrow, but I'm curious about his recovery. How long is he expected to be wrapped up in quilts? (or put another way, how many quilts should I be able to bind and/or hand quilt if they actually put me under the knife?)

Hi Bonnie! This post is a few weeks old, so you don't have to post my comment to the blog, but I was thinking about the Lemoyne Star. Since you still have the itch to make a tiny one... someday... I'm wondering if it would make a good English paper piecing project once your red/green hexies are done? I haven't done much EPP, just lots and lots of hand-pieced hexes, but it looks like a good candidate to me. It would be a good way to make sure the points were perfect, wouldn't it? Crud. Now I might have to start one myself. :)